(Yicai Global) May 28 -- China’s logistics revenue was CNY75.3 trillion (USD10.5 trillion) in the first third of the year, down 4.2 percent from the same period last year, but its decline braked by 3.1 percentage points from the first quarter in a sign of steadily improving performance in the sector as the Covid-19 pandemic loosens its grip.

The logistics demand of manufacturing gained significantly last month, data the Beijing-based China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing released today show. Transport demand of the electrical machinery, instrumentation and general equipment sectors arrested its slide and began to grow, while that of medical epidemic prevention supplies stayed high, with face mask output soaring 12 times and that of medical devices and rubbing alcohol up by over half.

Consumer goods logistics also continued to tick up, gaining 3.9 percent in total revenue in the first third, up 2.9 percentage points from the first quarter. Internet-based new businesses like food deliveries and online shopping have grown, bucking the trend during the pestilence. Online retail sales of physical goods jumped by 8.6 percent in the first four months, while the volume of express deliveries grew 11.5 percent.

Import logistics held stable as the inflow of goods rose by 4.9 percent in the period and 3.9 percent last month. Integrated circuits, iron ore and coal led growth among major goods brought in.

The logistics prosperity index was 53.6 percent last month, 2.1 percentage points higher than that of March and basically the same as last year’s average. The volume of inventory turnover, new orders, fixed investment in the logistics sector and equipment utilization rates all strongly rebounded in an overall recovery in the upstream and downstream of the supply chain in April.

Editor: Ben Armour